Where does local Komen race money go?

Thousands supporting a cure for cancer will join together this Saturday for the Susan G. Komen race for the cure. But first, we want you to know where all the money that's raised will go.

If you looked at a map, you'd see the 34102 zip code encompasses upscale areas of Naples like Port Royal. But it also includes the river park community.

It's a mostly low income - mostly minority neighborhood. And also an area that Komen Southwest Florida says has a high death rate from breast cancer.

Voncile Whitaker - who grew up there – says she blames one thing.

"Money. Money. That's the biggest issue. People would rather use money for food and bills," she said.

She says it affects her personally.

Her mom, who lives in the 34102 zip code, was diagnosed with an early stage of breast cancer.

In 2011, Komen paid for a study of zip codes throughout Southwest Florida. One of them was 34102 - where Komen realized many women were diagnosed with late stage breast cancer.

The group needed new ways to reach out this community to let them know services like free mammograms were available.

"Glad to see someone is interested in our neighborhood," Whitaker said.

The Komen funding doesn't stop there.

At a coalition meeting, representatives from groups like the Neighborhood Health Clinic discussed how they're changing lives with Komen grants.

At the clinic, low income women can get free mammograms, ultrasounds and even biopsies.

"We want to empower our patients as well as educate them to be partners in their own healthcare," said Nina Gray, Chief Development Officer for the Neighborhood Health Clinic.

"Lives are being saved here thanks to the funding and ironically, many of the women with advanced breast cancer were in the 30-40 age group, which is highly unusual. If it were not for the Komen funding and our breast health education funding, these women would not have been detected early and seen for treatment and their lives would not have been saved."

The race begins Saturday morning at 8 a.m. at Coconut Point Mall in Estero. There's still plenty of time left to register for the race.

Last year, the Southwest Florida Komen chapter raised more than $800,000.

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